Educational card game

ABSTRACT

The present invention is a card game deck including a plurality of cards having a first card with a first set of multiple attributes and a second card having a second set of multiple attributes, the first set and the second set being mutually exclusive.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the invention

The present invention relates to an educational card game and, more particularly, to an educational matching card game.

2. Description of the related art

Card games have existed for hundreds of years and they are variously used for gambling, entertainment, and education. Examples of card games include Poker, Old Maid, Go Fish, Flinch, Muggins, Crazy Eights, and Hearts. Card games generally involve various combinations of numerical series relative to suits of cards. For example, a common playing deck consists of 52 cards having four suits, each suit having a numerical sequence and/or face cards.

Matching games such as Crazy Eights involve matching either a number or a suit as cards are played from a dealt hand into a discard pile. Players are first dealt a number of cards and then, in a rotating manner, each has an opportunity to discard a card that matches either the suit or the number of a card showing. If a player does not have a card that will match either the suit or the number, the player is required to draw cards from a face-down pile until one can be played. If an “8” is drawn, an “8” is allowed to change the suit to anything desired by the player.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an educational card game that includes matching of several attributes of the cards.

The invention comprises, in one form thereof, a method of playing a card game including the steps of distributing a predetermined number of cards to at least two players. The cards including a first card and a second card and matching an attribute of the first card with an attribute of the second card, wherein the attribute of the first card includes at least one of an orientation of at least one geometric figure and a grammatical relationship.

An advantage of the present invention is that the card game teaches geometrical shapes, numbers of shapes, colors of geometric shapes, as well as word associations.

Another advantage of the present invention is that the rules can become more sophisticated as the players are of an older age.

Yet another advantage of the present invention is that the game is adaptable to teach word associations that are written on blank cards to teach pronunciation and cause word familiarity to arise within the player.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention will be better understood by reference to the following description of embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a view of some of the geometrical shapes that appear on a sample deck of cards of one embodiment of the present invented game;

FIG. 2 illustrates a possible hand dealt to a player;

FIG. 3 represents yet another sample hand that may be dealt to a player;

FIG. 4 illustrates word associations; and

FIG. 5 abstractly denotes that nouns and verbs or other grammatical constructs may be utilized on the set of cards of FIG. 1.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplifications set out herein illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention, and such exemplifications are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown cards 10 dealt into a hand 11, having geometrical shapes thereon. The geometrical shapes include but are not limited to a square 12, a triangle 14, a circle 16, a rectangle 18, a trapezoid 20, an ellipse 22, a diamond 24, two triangles with a first orientation 26, and two triangles with a second orientation 28. Each of the geometric shapes additionally are colored. For example, triangle 14 may be red, the two triangles with a first orientation 26 may be green, and the two triangles with a second orientation 28 may be red. Additionally, colors and orientations may vary on a card, with a card, for example including a blue circle and a red square. Further, patterns of colors may be utilized for each geometrical figure. Still further, the background color of the card is another attribute that can be matched in this attribute matching game.

A hand of cards 11 is dealt to each player, either visible to all or in a concealed manner. While the number of cards in deck 10 can be any number, a predetermined number are provided to each player of the game. An initial card is turned over, revealing the geometrical figure, its color, the quantity of the figures thereon, and the orientation of the geometrical figure(s). The player sees the card to be matched and reviews hand 11 to see if a card with a matching attribute is contained therein. For example, the card to be matched may be two green triangles, and hand 11 only contains a green circle, which may be played because of the matching attribute of color. Alternatively, a card having a similar geometrical shape could be played thereon, such as a triangle on the two green triangle card.

The rules of the game allow a modification of the rules as the players become more sophisticated. For example, a younger player may simply match shapes and colors, while a more sophisticated player would match orientations and quantities of geometrical figures on the cards. A point system is utilized to provide more points to the player who has a higher matching number of attributes per matching card. For example, a card with two yellow rectangles thereon, if it is matched to a card having two yellow squares, the matching attributes would include the quantity of geometric figures as well as the color yellow. However, another card having two yellow rectangles thereon matching with another card with two yellow rectangles would provide three matching attributes, those being color, quantity of geometrical figures, and the shape of the figures. An additional attribute would be the orientation of the rectangles relative to each card. A player can additionally indicate a match with geometrical figures having similar numbers of sides. For example, a player may point out an attribute of a trapezoid having four sides and a square having four sides, or an ellipse and a circle each being defined as having no straight sides.

The game is continued, going from player to player as players identify and match attributes of their cards to a card that is provided from a previous player in the matching game. If a player cannot match the intended card, then the player draws at least one card from a stack of cards in a face-down orientation.

Variations on the use of the set of cards in matching situations or memory type of games allow numerous variations in the number of attributes that are presented in the cards of FIGS. 1 and 2. The advantage of utilizing these sorts of cards provides geometrical, orientation, quantity, and color learning tools for children and therapy for individuals recovering from some medical conditions.

Now, additionally referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, there are shown cards similar to those of FIGS. 1 and 2 with the addition of words written thereon. The words may be related in some manner, having an attribute of rhyming, alliteration, or other grammatical relationships. The game now has an additional attribute that can be utilized in the matching or attribute point type of game. For example, in FIG. 3 there is a card having a circle with the word “rat” thereon, which in this case will be defined as being a “green circle,” may be played on a card having a green geometrical shape, on a card having a circle geometrical figure, a word having a rhyming attribute and/or simply a geometrical figure having one unit thereon. The limitations and rules can be defined by players before the game starts or alternatively by the dealer of the cards, much in the same way as some Poker games allow the dealer to define what cards may be wild. In one embodiment of the present invention, the dealer may indicate that the only allowed attributes would be color and rhyming words. This restricts—for that hand, at least—the playing of cards having geometrical figures with the identical colors or words that rhyme with a showing card. Again, points may be accumulated or the winner may simply be declared as the one who has discarded each of the cards of their hand first.

Now, additionally referring to FIG. 5, there is shown abstractly that other grammatical relationships may be utilized such as nouns, adverbs, verbs, prepositions, articles, and conjunctions. Additionally, the relationships may include matching prefixes, suffixes, and at least two-letter matching sequences in the words.

The use of words on the cards in at least two languages can additionally be utilized to match and the meanings. Additionally, pictures or schematical representations of objects can be placed on the cards. For example, pictures of a moped, a bicycle, a car, a truck, a train and an airplane may be on the cards and the attributes announced when some subset of these are matched may be ‘a vehicle’. More specifically, if the moped and the bicycle are associated then the attributes announced can be ‘two wheeled’ and ‘vehicle’, thereby scoring more points in this association, than if the moped were, for example, matched to the airplane. Additionally, the colors of the objects, as in the geometrical objects, can be an attribute.

Decks of cards having no writing thereon may be supplied along with a marker which will allow the game constructor to place words that are to be taught thereon, thereby allowing the game to be configured for the sophistication of a user. Additionally, names dealing with historical events, names related to geographical locations, dates and associated events may each individually be utilized in the game construct.

Within the deck of cards each card has multiple attributes and within the deck some cards have sets of attributes that are mutually exclusive from other cards. For example, one card may have only the word ‘cat’ on it with the word being printed in green and another card may have a blue circle on it. As such, the attributes of a word of one color and a geometrical shape of another color have no matching attributes.

Wild cards having multiple geometric figures of varying orientation and color can also be utilized to allow the playing of the wild card and the naming of the matching characteristic(s) of the wild card along with the card(s) to which it is associated. This effectively creates a ‘quasi-wild card’ in that the card may have a green circle, a red square and a blue triangle on it. This would be playable, as a matched attribute with another geometric figure that is colored green, red or blue; or a shape of circle, square or triangle. However, this would not be matchable to a card having a yellow pentagon or a black star. So the quasi-wild card has a widened scope of playing, but not a universal scope.

Another variation of the game would include dealing a predetermined number of cards to at least two players. The players, through a series of discards and replenishments of their hand, from a face-down deck, attempt to maximize the number of attributes or characteristics matched within their hand of cards, thereby testing the skill of the player to recognize as many attributes as possible. A scoring of the game requires each player to describe the attributes that they have amassed in their hands or played on the table. And if a player misses an attribute, it would not be allowed as a point, thereby requiring the player to reason through the attributes contained in the sets of cards in their hand.

While this invention has been described with respect to preferred embodiments, the present invention can be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims. 

1. A method of playing a card game, comprising the steps of: distributing a predetermined number of cards to at least two players, said cards including a first card and a second card; and matching an attribute of said first card with an attribute of said second card, wherein said attribute of said first card includes at least one of an orientation of at least one geometric figure and a grammatical relationship.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein said attribute is a grammatical relationship.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein said grammatical relationship is one of rhyming words, matching prefixes, matching suffixes and alliteration.
 4. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of hand printing a word on a card not having a word thereon.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein said attribute is orientation of at least one geometric figure.
 6. The method of claim 5, wherein said at least one geometric figure is the sole item printed on one side of said first card.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein said attribute is both an orientation of at least one geometric figure and a grammatical relationship.
 8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of a player indicating to other players what the matching attribute is between said first card and said second card.
 9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of scoring points based on a number of attributes that match between said first card and said second card.
 10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of matching another attribute of said first card with another attribute of said second card.
 11. A game card deck, comprising a plurality of cards including a first card and a second card, said first card having a first geometric figure thereon with a first orientation, said second card having said first geometrical figure thereon with a second orientation.
 12. The card deck of claim 11, wherein said plurality of cards further includes a third card having a plurality of geometric figures of said first geometric figure, said plurality of geometric figures being at least one of said first orientation and said second orientation.
 13. The card deck of claim 11, wherein said orientation is indicated by a player of the card deck.
 14. A card game deck, comprising a plurality of cards including a first card having a first set of multiple attributes and a second card having a second set of multiple attributes, said first set and said second set being mutually exclusive.
 15. The card game deck of claim 14, further comprising a third card having a third set of multiple attributes that has at least one attribute in common with at least one of said first set of multiple attributes and said second set of multiple attributes.
 16. The card game of claim 15, wherein said first set of multiple attributes includes a first word, said third set of multiple attributes includes a second word, said first word having a grammatical relationship to said second word.
 17. The card game deck of claim 16, wherein said grammatical relationship is one of rhyming words, matching prefix, matching suffix and at least a two letter matching sequence.
 18. The card game deck of claim 16, wherein said first word and said second word have one of a prefix and suffix that match.
 19. The card game deck of claim 16, wherein said first word and said second word have a substantial number of letters that match.
 20. The card game of claim 15, wherein said first set of multiple attributes includes a first geometric shape, said third set of multiple attributes includes a second geometric shape, said first geometric shape matching said second geometrical shape. 